Heirs of Prometheus
by Ungrade
Summary: Sometimes, humans needs to gather. They fear what is alien to them, and find support with persons like them. Persons who got hurt by strange entities, persons who seek revenge. Persons who seeks peace or are just nuts. Heirs of Prometheus is an organization gathering such persons. an organization dedicated to help victims to stand again without fear.
1. Chapter 1

_Long times ago while the capital was burning, a woman watched what used to be her son surrounded by the flames. She let her last feeling for her child burning away, then she starred at this hellish scenery for long minutes before leaving. Turning her back to the pyre which have consumed her life, she said words that she couldn't be able tell to that man anymore : "Once upon the time, a tribe who had no purpose. They were the weakest clan in this world, they had to fear everything. The gods gifted every other living thing with might, swiftness and countless other attributes until nothing else remained for this tribe. They were unable to stand as they were hunted, eaten, and dieing. That was their fate, until a kind god stood for them and stole a shard of the might of his kin, and gave it to the doomed tribe. That was a gift of Civilizations and Sciences, Cultures and Wars. So they could live on this mundane realm and live their Illusion of Grandeur." Yes, she had made a hasty retelling of the story of Prometheus. "But all of this gift were meaningless execpt for the contemptation our vanity. After all, we humans will die, rot, and be forgotten in the mist of the ages. Remember, son, you are mortal too. We are nothing and we will die one day."_

_The reason that pushed Prometheus to steal the fire of Olympus was the appearance of humans. They looked like beings capable of shattering worlds, turning ageless empires into dust, outliving legends. Yet they were pathetic, even against what seemed natural for them. That was pity that pushed him to give them a chance. And his demise is another story._

*...*

The pair of exorcists took a room in a not so cheap hotel in Kuoh Town, waiting for the arrival of the members of a third party organization. They called themselves "Heirs of Prometheus", but they seem to be more prone to blackmail each of the every other faction, proving that they didn't inherit anything.

These two girls were exorcist, representant of their respective Churches. The tallest of them, Xenovia Quarta, bore a serious face, and short blue hair with a green mesh, and representative of the Catholic Church, while her partner, Shidou Irina, at the time, let down, her long light brown hair, was sent by the Protestants Churches. The serious young woman was sitting on the sofa since several hours. And each of the times, her partner woke up to ask her to take a break and sleep, she has responded : " Not now, they will be here soon.  
\- You already said that, several times! Now, go to bed!  
\- But someone has to assure our safety. Imagine if someone attack us while we are sleeping."

To demonstrate how they were not well defended here, she pointed the pajama that her teammate was wearing, then her own combat suit. She was the only one here to be ready for a fight. Then she pointed at her right, at a pile of brief cases which were not supposed to be here, then at someone who was not supposed to be here too.

" Your are right. Both of you."

They turned their face to a blond young girl sitting next to Xenovia. Alarmed, the exorcist drew their weapon, or at least tried.

" Who are you? Identifies yourself!"

Only Irina actually managed to seize her Excalibur, Xenovia was bothered by the fact that the room was tight and her sword was quite large. But that was not the moment to show a hint of fear or surprise. An unknown force was invading the territory of the Christian duo.

" Calm yourself, you two. I'm a little hungry.  
\- Are you an ogre? Are you saying you want to eat us?" she said that with a defiant tone, her sword still packed in the shroud but pointed at the invader.

" Do I look like an ogre?" Irina looked at her, a look she gave back. Of course not. She was human. The catholic exorcist let the word "no" escape her mouth. That satisfied her so she turned her face toward the other girl, wielding a katana.

" And you?", the intruder addressed herself to Irina Shidou, without looking at the sandwich she was unpacking. The "no" that her partner spoke was a little confused.  
" So, you can go to sleep. I have already taken my night.  
\- But... Who are you?"

The girl did not see that she intruded the privacy of two church officials, or through the eyes of a sane person, two friends trying to got some sleep in a hotel room. Not yet. She had to have her lacking of proper manner pointed out by a japanese girl.

" Oh. I forgot. My name is Alexia Henderson, I am a scout sent by Heirs of Prometheus, HoP for short. But now, if you allow me to eat my sandwich. We will speak about that tomorrow. You have to sleep and I am hungry."

The exorcist agreed with a confused nod that they both needed some sleep. Their sleep was short, especially Xenovia's, as she has been disturbed by the early light hearted laugh of the two other girls, plus she slept with her sword. That leads her to sigh, announcing a bothersome day. They would have tonegotiate with the devil this afternoon.

" Irina, what are you talking about, this early in the morning?  
\- About Ise-san. And...  
\- Your childhood friend turned devil?"

Xenovia said that with a harsh tone, before being hit by a cereal box in the forehead.

" Second time. What is this?  
\- Cereal?  
\- Nope. Look inside.  
\- Cereal? This is a joke?  
\- Nope, and yes. I have exchanged the content of these two box. Miss Shidou wanted to eat that one kind, and when I handed her this one box she was disappointed. But the content was something she knows.  
\- What are you trying to say?  
\- Just let it slide. Don't care of it. This guy is now a devil, but he still the same, isn't it?"

She is an arrogant know-it-all, trying to use the same logic behind the Holy Sword, such as her Durandal? If the core is safe, a Holy Sword can be reforged, the vessel change but not the core.

" And now, what is your mission? Whatever your organization is planning, don't interfere with ours.  
\- This will not be possible.  
\- What?"

The still white clad exorcist rise an eyebrow. A newcomer, seemly an heretic, has proven to be an annoyance to her mission.

" First, we have been sent by two different organizations to investigate a land managed by the Devils, this is a little fishy. Second, do you really think that two exorcist can be a menace to one of the leaders of Grigori?  
\- How do you know about our mission?  
\- Ear dropping.  
\- You are not that trustworthy.  
\- If you said that, boss. Pass me the cereal, by the way."

That girl was annoying. And she never knew that a cereal box could hurt this much.

" And Henderson-san, what is your mission then?  
\- Can we speak about this, later? Like, this afternoon. Let's talk about this with the devils. That will be faster. And I want to enjoy my breakfast."

" Is she serious?  
\- I think she is."

" One, last thing.  
\- Yes?  
\- Can I change myself? An armor is not an appropriate way to dress nowadays."

She didn't need to look carefully on the girl, to see that she was wearing a high-tech looking armor. And when she looked on herself, she slept with her cloak and combat suit. Not appropriate? Irina putted her hand on her shoulder.

" Xenovia. Stop to worry. She had plenty time to steal our Excaliburs, or kill us. And don't. Can we trust Henderson-san a little?  
\- But she is not... Christian.  
\- You called me heretic twice yesterday. Somedays, more than that. And you are my friend neitherless. This is not the point."

They spent, after that argument, a quiet breakfast. The outsider took a short shower before leaving, with one of the large briefcase she was carrying. Then they had time to investigate themselves.

Their clothes were not the most appropriate thing around, this pair of girls gathered too much attention. But wasn't it the goal of it? By using attractive young people as exorcist they could become noticeable by the supernatural treat of their Church, such as devils or right now fallen angels.

" Irina, someone is following us."

She nodded in agreement. But her look added something that can say : " A devil?", the response was an immediate head shake. Partners agreed to lead the potential treat in an alley. Irina morphed Excalibur Mimic into a wire connecting two gutters, at knee height.

That was a dead end, but she was confident, they will overcome this treat, whatever it was, a devil, a heretic, or a fallen angel alike. Or a giant man, freezing his surrounding as his walked in, without even noticing the trap.

The target was a three meter tall man his size didn't stop to increase yet. The trenchcoat the giant weared was already in shred.

" An ice Giant?"

She gave a hateful glance at the abomination, then it replied : " Do I look like a swordfish to you, kids?"

She had to eliminate this monster quickly.

That thing breathed out a cone made of chilling air. The cloud of ice was slashed away with a wave of Excalibur Destruction. The monster frowned a little before giving a large smile with a mouth full of perfect and immaculate teeth. It seemed to understand what that sword was.

" Irina! Restrain his movements!"

That seemed to be smarter than the average blood favored shaved ice, as it turned to her teammate to punch her. Or rather, crush her under its fist. They coordinated their movement perfectly, Xenovia blocked its fist with her sword, opening an escape route for Irina. The twin-tailed exorcist then morphed Excalibur Mimic into whip, allowing her to grape a gutter above her, then tracking herself to the roof.

The wielder of Durandal, even if she was wielding Excalibur Destruction at the time, feeling the tension on her body, rolled over the giant hand and using the momentum given by it, htited its right arm. The arm was now falling appart, and her with it.

She also thanked her friend when she saw the approaching second hand of the giant being repelled by a whip.

" You are dead now, abomination."

She gave it a smile, nowhere near perfect as the giant smile but still nice, while a whip went right to the giant throat. It was her turn to help, she jumped straight to a gigantic hand trying to grab Excalibur Mimic, and, as excepted, destroyed it with Excalibur Destruction. Now she could just watch Irina strengthening her holy sword with her own holy elements, the whip grinding the giant neck, and itself being beheaded.

"Good job Irina. Let's dispose of the corpse."

Xenovia, an exorcist look at the neck, it didn't bleed, the blood froze as in came into contact with the air. They were exorcist. Their job is to protect their Churches, and bring the Will of God.

* * *

**Hello, If you see error, don't show hesitation and report.**


	2. Chapter 2

The two white cloaked exorcist walked into the devil's headquarter, a room in the old building of a prestigious school. The devils were trying to pass for humans being, even if some of then were humans in the past. But right now, that was not the question in her mind. This morning a Norse giant targeted them. It was weak, but it can't be alone. And right now they have to make sure that the devil won't interfere with their mission. Irina was the one who handled most of the negotiations. The subject of the Norse Giant was delayed. And that pagan girl was late, again. Fortunately, she could not be relevant here.

The brown-haired devil, Hyoudou Issei, shivered once her teammate made the mistake of revealing the ability of her Excalibur. Then the blond one next to him, made a dark face while staring at their sword, like " blah, I HATE YOU, blah, blah. YOU KILLED MY FATHER. DIE. DIE. DIE. I'M SO DARK!". They were a shame to their master, who continued to ask questions, without flinching. It was her turn now.

" Actually, even if we think that the Excalibur are in possession of Grigori, we have been attacked by a Norse giant this morning. Do you have heard of activities of the Norse Faction here?  
\- No, but this will be troublesome if I can't take care of... Yes? You can enter."

Someone knocked at the door. That was a group of devil, their leader was a bespectacled female devil, she was kind of serious contrasting with the one of the two humans that her group was escorting. A young blond girl wearing a hoodie and a pair of pant, behind her, a sick looking middle aged man carrying a guitar case.

"Sorry, I'm late. Matthew, you can lay that somewhere.  
\- Thanks. Already."

He took a deep breath as he laid the guitar case against the wall, before asking for the bathroom. Something wrong with that guitar case? The devils shivered again as their were near of that. The majority of the devils newcomers leaved while Sona of the House Sitri stayed, adding herself to the meeting.

" Where did I stop? Ah, yes. I will take care of the Norse Giant, if you want.  
\- That will not be possible, Miss Gremory."

That girl said that again, now was the time she will explain herself.

" Why not?  
\- Ask questions to man."

She didn't sit down, she just stayed next to the guitar case to allow herself to reveal what it contained. And Xenovia, probably Irina and all the devils understood why this Matthew looked so sick. Yet, Xenovia Quarta didn't know if she had to pay more attention to the oddly shaped sword : Excalibur Rapidly. Or what used to be a human being failing out of a coffin, all limb bent in some improbable angle or smashed into pieces, or in the case of the hand clinging to the Excalibur teared out. She wouldn't hesitate to call her out when she realized that that person used to be a priest, but the face of the man bore what used to be the smile of a madman while hideous normally, was much worse deformed by the pain, with just a lifeless tongue hanging out of what was his mouth, his smashed jaw barely connected to the rest of his head by a small portion of flesh. And the man breathed, even after being smashed he was breathing, hardly, heavily, but still breathing.

One name came out of the mouth of the one who knew him : " Freed Sellzen."

" He is alive, by the way.", and that is not nothing you can say like that.

Right now, Alexia Henderson did not have display a hint of the standard expected from a human. When she was questionned about her "mission", they learned that her organization have sent her and nine, non-professional, soldiers take care of a Giants incursion. She came first with the weapons, while the other took the plane. Then after spending the afternoon to hunt down giants, four of then have been incapacitated. The most unnerving part of the report was how she listed the name, birth place, birth date, and how and when each of the next four were killed. Not a faint smile of pleasure, hinting a wicked personality like Freed, appeared on her face. Even when she described the more than satisfying beat down than she gave to the stray exorcist, that was with a medical precision, a disgusting medical precision.

The blond devil, Kiba Yuuto, asked her how she was able to beat Freed equipped with an Excalibur. Thing that the young girl didn't understoand. Then Kiba Yuuto launched his fist in the windows behind, now in front of, him, mourning the loose of his "comrades". He was one of the survivors of the Holy Sword Project of the rumors. Xenovia Quarta couldn't relate than much as the grew up with the protection of the Catholic Church, but she had to ask him.

" You, do you hate the Excaliburs?  
\- Of course! The Church have gathered several children, said that could wield the most powerful holy sword, before disposing of them. I can say it! I am a witness, I saw everything! How we loose track of the hours and days as our number decreased. But we were dumb, we were clinging to their promise, hoping that at least one of us was special. But no. They disposed of their guinea pig, unleashing gas, saying 'Amen' while looking at us, vomiting our burning lugs. That..."

He had a feeling of sickness because of the memories he was telling them. His fellow devils show their concern, which he tried to dismiss. Until, the witch, Asia Argento, slapped him.

" Kiba-kun!" she sounded quite angry, " You were brave when you and Koneko-san helped Issei-kun to save me at the Abandoned Church! Like a Knight! You are a Knight right?!  
\- What are you saying, Arge..."

A slap, again. That witch was somewhat bold herself.

" Even if I can't pray god anymore, I am happy to be able to speak to you, and Koneko-san, and Issei-kun, and Rias-sempai, and Akeno-sempai, each day..."

Irina laid her hand on her shoulder, and pointing the door where Sona Sitri and the murderous child where standing. They had to wait outside, this was where the Gremory's peerage have to deal with this issue themselves.

Sona of the House Sitri examined the three human, two exorcists wielding Excalibur Shards and young girl claiming to have some good martial art skill.

" So what are you planning?  
\- We have been asked to retrieve or destroy the Excalibur without the involvement of the devils. But the giant issue. You said that we can't operate alone. Why?  
\- I have been sent to investigate an incursion and the reason behind it. This time, their movements are too different from the normal path, starting with the fact that no entry to Asgard is acknowledged in Japan. And nowadays the average incursion is about fifty to three thousand heads. How many can you think you can take alone?  
\- I don't know, maybe six or seven. Irina and I have killed one without much trouble.  
\- No, I don't know. Not really."

They eared some more slap inside of the room, some scream.

" This is the problem. We are not enough. We are lacking fire power. And Kokabiel is collaborating with the giants. We will have to fight endless waves of giants and fallen angels. Even with the devils of the Gremory and the Sitri, even with my organization we are lacking numbers."

She detroyed a giant fist. And Irina had no problem to cut its head. But hundreds giants? She was not confidents enought.

Hyoudou Issei exited the room, with two blank eyes. Did he have eared that his girlfriend was pregnant?

" Ise-kun, what happened?  
\- I don't know. The girls have begun to say that they loved me. I not so sure to understand, that's weird. I think I had some hallucinations. I didn't do anything that allow me to claim the title of Harem King yet."

A little dense. She heard the screams of pain thatdid not end, coming from the other side of the door. The stray exorcist screams, if she had to be exact.

Once the carnage brought by Asia Argento ended, the meeting could continue. With the assumption that the Norse giant are collaborating with Kokabiel and theeir assumed number, Irina concluded that they cannot obey their order properly. The question now was to find a loophole. From now on, the easiest way to use the members of HoP as proxy to cooperate with the devils. That give to Xenovia, a Catholic exorcist, an uneasy feeling. The loophole was here, but doing that while acknowledging her own heretic action was worthy of being excommunicated.

She didn't want to involve herself during the contract between the devils and Matthew, the Henderson's henchman. Kiba Yuuto, survivor of the Holy Sword Project and now a devil, was tasked to escort them. A way to allow him to ask questions, he had to ease his burden.

" May I ask something?"

She smiled, then remembered the smile of the frost giant worthy of a toothpaste ad, imitate that smile may be useful if she had to seduce someone, or just look silly on a photo. Don't mind that. The carnage bough by the witch Asia Argento lightened his mood. She was saying, without word, " Irina, kill his pain."

" Yes? Devil-kun. Something wrong?  
\- The Holy Sword Project? Was it backed by the Church?  
\- No! Noway! Why would you think that!?  
\- I though that... That was what Argento-san said, there are no way that the Church who take care of her for so long can do something this...  
\- You are right. The instigator of that have been excommunicated.  
\- Who is he?"

" Valper Galilei, nicknamed 'Genocide Archbishop', he was well known to the public for his numerous involvement in charity actions. A famous philanthropist who funded, built, and baked numerous orphanage, a front for his inhuman experiment. When they had to excommunicate him, the Higher-Up of the Churches and the Heavens's head covered everything with the pedo-priest craze and some camp."

Again, Axelia Henderson appeared while she wasn't supposed to be here. And proved to be too much knowledgeable.

" From where do you even come?"

She had to let it out, that was the second time that she came out of nowhere.

" Didn't I say that I will stay with you?  
\- When?  
\- Just before we exited their club room."

Make sense, if she had to stay with her remaining henchman, this can feel weird. She was too old to appear to be his daughter. Or too young to watch him during his night activities.

" I wonder."

He wonders what? About the sexual activities of the remaining standing soldier? Does he think that men-on-men is kinda hot too? Wait, that was wrong. Please continue.

" The three of you are holding one of the Excaliburs."

Three? Irina, one. Herself, two. Look at the right, Irina and Kiba Yuuto, left, a girl hugging Excalibur Rapidly. Oh.

" Yet, I have to ask myself if it was pointless. If she can beat so easily Freed Sellzen bare-handed, even more if he was using one of the Excalibur. Is it because the Strongest Holy Sword is in fact weak or it is me, who is lacking. I thought that I would live to destroy the Excaliburs, but now... Were we supposed to be sacrificed for something pointless..."

" The Excalibur have been broken. It is not the strongest Holy Sword anymore. But each of its Shard are themselves powerful Holy Sword. If you want to prove your claim, if you want to say that our Excalibur are weak weapon, I agree to have a spare against you. Ask now. And I will fight you. You may be stronger than me, I may be stronger than you. But I know my own strength. It is up to you to say if you are strong, or if you are weak.  
\- Xenovia-san..."

A girl looked at her with two very admiratives eyes. The addition of her twintails gave her an innocent look, melting the heart of her partner. This didn't take long for the admirattion to disapear, after she heard those words.

" Irina. Why are you making that kind of face? Don't say that you are aroused by what I was saying. Irina, this is wrong. I don't want to do it now, while a stranger can see us.  
\- Xenovia-san... I was about to hug you. But you are saying lewd thing again."

Kiba Yuuto giggled.

" I won't fight you right now. We have to keep our strength. And I don't want to hurt someone who help me.  
\- Are you saying that you will kick my ass?  
\- XEVONIA!  
\- We will say that later, once this will be finished."

Xenovia, a Catholic Exorcist, did something that she never expected. For the sake of her Church, she came with an agreement with the devils.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days passed since the encounter with Irina and Xenovia, plus the two members of HoP. Hyoudou Issei have been quite busy since then. Without taking account of Rias and Asia who used the art of the naked apron the previous day, he had the mission required by the contract. He went out, after school and each night, patrolling Kuoh Town searching for suspicious looking guys wearing trench-coat. Xenovia added that if they had good teeth, he can attack them at sight. She had a problem with the people who take care of their teeth. The first day, he had been put into the Exorcists team, to allow him to explain himself about why he became a devil to his childhood friend. That was hard, Irina didn't stop to pray while her partner... Basically, she said nothing, but gave him some murderous glare. The second day, he had been teamed with Genshirou Saji, his fellow pawn, the Student Council President Sona Sitri and Koneko-chan. Each day, they found one or two Ice Giants, they fought them, and he was almost broken in two. He served as a bait for each of the fights. Well, he was witnessed the ability of a High-class devil and the tactical prowess expected from one.

But for the team he formed with Irina and Xenovia, that was weird... the latter was the person who directed their actions, without taking account of her own directive, charging head first, taking strike after strike, and demolishing the Giant. After that, Asia was assigned to their group. Keep your head on, Xenovia, God will not forgive you if a devil happened to mourn your death. But the strategy they used was, thanksfully simple, she charged head first, with him running behind. Irina hiding to saw off the head of the giant with a sword-whip thing, Excalibur Mimic. He didn't understand why he had to be in the front line if he had to transfer the boost to her Excalibur Destruction. Even more when that was Irina who claimed the head of the enemy. He assumed that the blue haired liked to smash thing. And the Ice Giant have perfect teeth, but don't attack anyone who take good care of their teeth.

That was the third day, at the Occult Reasearch Club's room, they were waiting. They didn't have news of the Exorcists Duo, plus Henderson, since the day before after the patrols. Matthew have called his superiors about the disappearance of his... let's say "squad leader", but what was a little more difficult was contacting the church, they can start a war right now.

" The directors are still in negotiation. The André in mission, and I don't want to see the Doctor Yamada."

That was bad, Matthew said the name as they are the only ones who could do something in his side right now.

" Miss Gremory, Miss Sitri. I have a request.  
\- Yes?  
\- What is it?  
\- Both of you, I heared that the two of you are sibling of Satan."

There a little misunderstanding. Their actually four Satans, not one. Please, Hyoudou Issei corrects him, if Rias or Sona don't do this already.

" This is the case. Rias's older brother is the Maou Lucifer, and my..."

She blocked a moment. Is she really ashamed by her sister? She is red like a tomatoe.

" And Sona's older sister is the Maou Leviatan."

The man took his time to digest the information. While Rias Gremory muttered at her childhood friend ear : "Are you really bothered about that?  
\- It is not that. But if Onee-sama come here... And right now...  
\- I see, I see..."

For Hyoudou Issei that was, kinda cute, to see Rias patting Kaichou's head. But he still bothered, after all, his childhood friend have been missing.

" Then, what will we do?"

That was Kiba who responded. He was an in bad mood but better that a few day ago.

" We can destroy the remaining Excaliburs.  
\- Yuuto-kun, what did you said! We are already at an inch to antagonize the Angel Faction!  
\- I know that. But listen to me, what can we do with that? Devil are not supposed to wield holy sword. It's that or we will use the Excaliburs as a ransom.  
\- That is smart Yuuto-kun. We can retrieve the Excaliburs, and send them to the Church as a present! But this is currently out of question that to destroy them.  
\- And also, have you news about Freed?"

Yes, Freed have been the currency Matthew-san used to make a contract.

" Yes, he began to speak.  
\- Did he said something?  
\- Again, yes. But that will not please you.  
\- Say it. But without saying the obscenity. Has he said the name of Valper Galilei?  
\- Technically, he didn't say anything."

Kiba stand up as Rias ended the phrase.

" Sorry, but I have to go outside.  
\- You are not going to hunt him down. You don't know where he is. And he works alongside the Jötun and Kokabiel.  
\- Don't worry, Buchou. I will stay in front of the building."

" There are several Satans?!"

Hyoudou Issei followed the Knight. He said that he had something to ask him. He could have asked to his club's captain but that was more polite to hear it from the mouth of the interrested one.

As he promised, he was just sitting against the wooden wall of the old school building.

" Yo, Kiba.  
\- Something wrong Ise-kun?  
\- Nothing really. I mean, YES! This is about you. Is this Valper Galilei is related to this Holy Sword Project?  
\- He was the head of the Holy Sword Project, the mastermind behind it. Why are you asking this?  
\- Since you have seen that photo, you looked weird. I try to understand your pain, but I can't even think about how you are feeling. But was it something bad enough to scare Asia?  
\- I was that bad?"

He looked a little surprised, but nodded.

" I will apology again, later.  
\- Are you tired? These fight were exhausting actually."

He sat next to his comrade.

" And, I have something to ask you actually.  
\- What is it?  
\- Do you want to go to the karaoke? We are looking for it, say... Next weekend, maybe the one coming after? Kiryu, Motohama and Matsuda are coming. Asia and Koneko too.  
\- Why not. I gladly accept."

He had to go back in the subject.

" Kiba, what you said last times. It was sad, I am also your comrade, the same is true for the Club as a whole. So if you can share your sadness with us, each of us will become your strength.  
\- What are you saying Ise-kun?  
\- So... Let's say... I, Hyoudou Issei, will support you, Kiba Yuuto, until you have claimed Valper Galilei's head. Because we are devil, and we are supposed to be evil. And I will help you to accomplish your evil deed! Because vengeance is evil."

He said that while doing tokusatsu poses, so he looked like an idiot, even with Booster Gear deployed.

" That was weird.  
\- I know.  
\- [And don't use me to do those silly thing.]  
\- Sorry partner."

There were an awkward silence. Issei broke it.

" You know, I want to know the whole story, from your mouth. Now you are relaxed. If you don't want to tell it, don't.  
\- I will. I have of spill it one day or another after all. Listen well."

They past several minutes talking about it, Kiba Yuuto feeling. His regrets and griefs, how he was driven by vengence.

Once they returned, everyone was pondering. Fighting giants is a thing, but they still without any clue. So they were arguing likes dead fishes.

" Once again, why Grigori would steal three Excaliburs?"

That was Rias, hitting her head with her glasses.

" The most logical thing is to reforge the True Excalibur, but then why haven't they stole all of then?"

She putted she glasses on the desk.

" They were guarded. Not in the same building.  
\- Thanks you Akeno."

"What if Grigory is trying to start a new Great War ?"

That was Asia, her voice was full of disgust and fear for the word "war", but how can she say that while sounding cute?! Answer!

" That can be the case, Argento-san. But the Fallen Angels will be wiped out if we start a new Great War. They have to be dumb to want this."

They are dumb! Heir of the House Sitri, look at them! Last time they manifested themselves in this town, they killed a kid who was supposed to have a dangerous Sacred Gear, without thinking that the Heir of the House Gremory could reincarnate him.

" The ones who encountered didn't show a lot a brightness, you know?"

Tanjou Koneko was eating an ice cream when she pointed the fact, while Saji rose another question : " And why the ice giant are helping the fallen angels?"

A question that no one could answer, except Issei who took this occasion to speak " Maybe someone who hold a great authority among the Giant is helping the fallen angels?"

That was a smart statement that no one could think about, congratulation Occult Research Club and Students Council, you were outsmarted by the dumbest guy available. The Queen of the Sitri's peerage pointed that since they only fought against ice giants, Surt was not involved, the more immediate candidates were Ymir, who was long dead, and Loki. The next point was brought by Kiba.

" If we want to know about the objectives of Kokabiel and the ice giant. We could investigate the past of Valper Galilei, as he is currently involved in two events about the Excaliburs."

That was a good statement, that was unfortunate that all they would be able to do this that was informations about the objectives of the enemies.

" So we are to a point were fighting is secondary. Today, we will only dispatch one team : Ise-kun, Yuuto-kun, Akeno. The rest of us will investigate Valper Galilei."

A general "Roger" answered the order of Rias Gremory.

*...*

At night, inside a warehouse on the dock, there were three chained girls, two of them were bare-footed and wearing pajamas and the third a very form sitting bodysuit. They seemed to be here for a long times as they were covered in dirt and their faces were worn by exhaustion and hunger. Two massive icy-blue skinned men were guarding them. In fact, everyone in the room was hungry when the door opened, then an elderly man clad in white and red outfit entered. He was the former Arcbishop Valper Galilei, also knows as Arbishop Genocide. Before saying a single word, he checked the swords resting against the box, three of then was here, Excalibur Destruction, Excalibur Mimic, Excalibur Rapidly. Rising the number of Holy Sword in his possession to five. Then, he approached the prisoners, and examined them with a satisfied smile. His kept his grin when the began to spoke.

" I want to know. Which one of you is the one who have killed Freed?"

He looked at them with fascination, studying their reactions. The taller glared at him with defiance, the Asian with hatred, and the youngest looked serene.

" You know killing a genius exorcist wielding one the Excaliburs is a great feat, even with another Excalibur. Say it, which one?"

They didn't respond. Perhaps because the face of the disgusting ex-clergy man was too close of their own as he spoke.

" You can speak, you know? I will not harm you, any of you. You are too valuable for that. I don't have any spare, so I have to replace him with one of you. Unfortunately, I can afford to make all of you my puppet, times consuming. Which one of you will be the Chosen One? Uh? The chains, aren't they a little loose? Who is the one who tied them? I will have to execute him myself.  
\- Try to tie someone with these hands, sir. This is not easy.  
\- You, Ice Giants, are good for nothing aside brushing your tooth and fighting. Die, please.  
\- Sorry, sir."

Valper Galilei waited for the apologies of the giant to execute him, with a cannon erupting from his torso. Under, the noise brought by his weapon he eared one of the girl.

" That explain a lot. Grandpa said he killed him himself. But if he is a cyborg now."

He looked at his prisoners, facing them with an even more large smile, and revealing his mechanical entrails.

" Are you related with this man? With Daniel Henderson? That is great!"

He began to laugh, a loud laugh, a mad laugh.

" Seriously ! That man turned his back to God, but sent his grand-daughter to be exorcist ! That damn hypocrite !"

He laughed again.

" You know that ? He was one of the person who instigate my fall ! And the thing he said to me when I was bleeding on my armchair : 'This is for my daughter, her husband. This is for stealing away the normal life they hoped to give her.' I want to use you as my puppet just to see his angered face ! And you have you ever eared the name of Daniel Henderson?"

He addressed himself to the last giant, as he turned toward him, but also to his prisoner.

Daniel Henderson was a strong exorcist, his faith made him a potential wielder of Excalibur Blessing. But one day, he was inexplicably branded as an heretic. It was known that he had to struggle with his daughter, who didn't want to know anything about the supernatural side of the world. That didn't shake his faith but he questioned himself, if he was righteous.

" You are wrong about something."

That was the blue haired lady, she was able to undo the chain that binded her, and now running toward him. He didn't blink an eye when he transformed his arm into a paw and smashed her into the wooden boxes.

"They also turned my into a chimera. So young lady, where am I wrong then ?"

She didn't respond to him, as he picked a small file in the floor, she said these word : " Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-Mother Mary. Please hear my voice."


	4. Chapter 4

Daniel Henderson, current Head of the Administrative Department of the Heirs of Prometheus, former top-class exorcist, wars veteran, one hundred and twelve, but a healthy man, was crumbling beneath a pile unpaid salaries, unpaid bills and taxes, and others files. He couldn't be alright. His mood could only worsen when he received a call from Julia, the Head of the Military Department.

" I have news from the mission we sent to Japan.  
\- Is she doing well? My grand-daughter.  
\- Well, I have to say that we have some complication...  
\- Alexia can handle this with ease. You send her with nine persons. And Rodrigez is a good leader for this mission.  
\- Unfortunately, no. She has disappeared. And he is dead.  
\- What?! You told me...  
\- Sorry, I have lost some document. Kokabiel is involved. I received a call from Matthew, they have the originals documents. I didn't take time to read them carefully. Sorry Director, but we really need computers.  
\- Julia... Are you saying that you will be obligated to deploy Toji?  
\- Yes, I've asked him already.  
\- The world is screwed."

What a troublesome job, it was surprising that he didn't retire yet.

*...*

" This time, we will capture him."

Hyoudou Issei said that as a self reassurance. Curretly, they didn't have any mean to restrict a giant, capturing one was pointless, and interragating one was an unreachable goal.

The giant was again a suspicious man wearing a trench coat. And as always, he wasn't ashamed by his perfect teethes, so perfect that thinking about that was irritating. They were roaming the town aimlessly, so he would be asking why they have to kiil them, if the giants were not the one who attacked them first.

" Ise-kun, I think that I come up with a plan.  
\- You were Kiba, what is it?  
\- First, I will use Sword Birth to create flaming swords. Second, you will enhance the potency of the flame with your Booster Gear. Third, Akeno-sempai will strike him with her thunder.  
\- I don't understand.  
\- I mean, we are going to...  
\- Not so loud!"

They were in restaurant, and the suspicious man in trench coat was just behind him. It was natural that he feared that the giant could hear them.

" Sorry, sorry. But this one is a frost giant."

Issei facepalmed when his friend pointed the giant with his thumb.

" He breathes cooled air, full of ice. The flame will liquefy the ice, and the water conduct the electricity.  
\- That was smart. Now we need to find Akeno-san"

He also heard words : " I am doomed" coming fromtheir target.

*...*

Earlier, Akeno and Rias had a little argument, as usual, over Issei. A little argument that started when the raven haired lady implied that she will "enjoy" her time with him. Issei, being himself and trying to not think about what they dubbed the "Asia's Carnage Incident", started to make a speech about Boobs. Thankfully, Kiba dragged him out of the room before his brain would be able to compute it.

" You know, Ise-kun, you can be more honest to yourself.  
\- What are you saying Kiba?  
\- You have the Two Great Ladies of Kuoh fighting over you.  
\- What are you saying Kiba? They are toying with me.  
\- Buchou is not like this.  
\- I know that. But Buchou still have to find someone suitable for her after the Phenex Incident.  
\- Why this person couldn't be you?  
\- Don't be silly, I am her servant. She can't be attracted by me. At best I will be like a little brother.  
\- If your are like a little brother, why wouldn't you call her 'Rias-buchou' at least? Try to call her by her name. That would hurt no one.  
\- I can't. Seriously, that will be disrespectful. She is nobility, I am her servant and a commoner. I could not call her like that if I am not standing on a common ground with her.  
\- You promised me that you and everyone will bear my pain, then I will bear yours."

Does he have the right to feels horrified? He has. But that doesn't explain why Himejima Akeno was late, and nothing will. Except saying that she may have been knocked out by Asia.

*...*

The giant, at least, took precautions. He knew that the devils could not attack him in a crowned place. So he was able to throw unnoticeable spells without bothering about it. Mind control spells. What he didn't know is that Himejima Akeno, the Queen of the Gremory's peerage, spotted him and used thunder bolts to allow peoples to regain their sense. To an exterior observer, seeing a crowed street being repeatably hit by lightning, that was like a sign of the heaven, or a weird electromagnetic phenomenon.

" Actually, Akeno-san. Why don't you just hit him?  
\- Ise-kun, you see is if someone inspects his corpse, that someone will find out that our friend is not human.  
\- I didn't though about that. But what you are doing is still suspicious.  
\- He is right."

Again, Hyoudou Issei tried to put some sense in the conversation, he hoped that Kiba will be able to help him, but he was too busy, thinking about a plan where he could sneak behind the foe and cut his head. A lot more reckless than his previous plan.

" Okay, okay. I will follow him from ground!  
\- Ara, ara, Ise-kun, Are you living us already?"

Akeno put her large "attributes" in front of the face of her cadet, in a very suggestive manner.

" Akeno-san, I appreciate you and your intentions, and I will appreciate spending more time with you but..."

Resist the temptation Hyoudou Issei, because this in neither the time nor the place to make such a lecherous face.

" WE ARE ON THE ROOF OF A BUILDING!  
\- That was mean Ise-kun. Are you saying that you are not attracted by my body? Or that you have preference for Rias's?"

He saw at the corner of his eye, Kiba giggling. Why could he ask for help! And the giant is fleeing.

" That is not that, Akeno-san, but..."

His face dove into the raven-haired lady's breast. Resist the nosebleed, please, because, this is still innapropriate.

The initiatives he had to make broke his heart : he refused his right to Heavens when he grabed the shoulder's of the vice-president of the Occult Reshearch's Club. Mission first, he had a childhood friend and two weirdos to save. And on side-note, the world.

*...*

How did the situation turned like that?

He was alone, facing a giant man, correction, just a giant, Booster Gear manifested on his left arm. He still on a good position, the giant being cornered. They were in an old warehouse, the supernaturals entities like warehouses.

" What do you want, kid? You are pursuing me since... what... Two hours?"

The giant was right, he was a little tired now.

"I have several questions for you  
\- As I will give you answers.  
\- Not again..."

The giant charged at Hyoudou Issei, passing next too him. Actually that was him who have jumped, in an attempt to escape an infortunate flat fate : being trampled.

He was now covered with dust, lying on the ground.

" [Partner, are you sleeping? This guy is coming again.]  
\- Not the moment Ddraig. We don't know what they are planning to do. Can we fight without killing him?  
\- I am right here!"

A gigantic fist was diving toward him. Hyoudou Issei, not willing to die without having sucked his Club's Captain nipple, rolled on the floor.

" [I have to say that if you are not careful, you will kill him.]  
\- What are you saying? I am crawling right now. It is him who will kill me!  
\- I am coming Honey!  
\- He creeps me out.  
\- [I will agree with you for this one.]"

One of the perk of having a voice speaking in your head is that not matter how noisy is the environement, Hyoudou Issei can hear the voice of Ddrag, the Red Dragon Emperor. Even with the sound of the floor being shattered, even with s fragments flying, exploding as they met the wall, or passing through the wall, waking holes of various sizes.

" Where are you?! HONEY!"

The voice of the giant was low, now full of passion? Something like that, whenever the giant spelled out the word "Honey", it gave chilling sensation to the object of its interrest.

" I Know! I will freeze this building, then I will retrieve your boby once you will be a lovely chunk of frozen meat."

The giant have to blind, as the currect Red Dragon Emperor was just under his nose. And he had an excuse, his punch have sent up a dust clound, blinding him and his newly found 'toy'.

" [Partner, I don't want to finish like the dinosaurs. Do something!]  
\- Okay. Err... Dr-Dragon Shoot."

He didn't take time to aim. He fired the Dragon Shoot forward, it didn't take long before he found himself being covered in blood. He didn't notice the explosion, a loud explosion. He turned his head toward a rolling head. The head of his agresso, whom he killed himself.

*...*

Severals hours have passed since Hyoudou Issei have killed someone for the first time, now that was nighttime.

Unfortunately, right now, he is not here., and what was troubling the silence of night was in another warehouse, on the dock. The silence was broken when someone spelled Names, Blessed Names, Names of Saints. These names were a command, a summoning.

For whoever knew what names meant would have to react quickly. Valper Galilei knew what were the meaning of those words, and reacted accordly : he hitted the exorcist-girl, sending her flying against the wall one more time.

"Now, this is better young girl. If you have Durandal, it is comprenhensible that you were able to kill Freed. Sir Ice Giant, I have a fitting replacement for Freed. You can kill the others two now."

What was troubling was that no one responded to his order. Weird, he killed only one of the guard. He turned himself toward the giant, irritated by the silence. That was natural that no one responded, he was missing half of his boby. He looked at the other two prisoners, nowhere to be seen. The swords, the other two trashes where trying to retrieve its. Turning his arm into a monstrous claw, he stuck Xenovia on the floor. Revealing his cannon, he turned to the trashes, and fired.

He was however disapointed to see that he hitted the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

Xenovia hoped to give enough time to Irina to retrieve the Excaliburs. Ten seconds, maybe twelve, would have been enough to allow her to reach their weapons, she though that she would be able to keep up with a cyborg, she trusted her trump card. All of this failed. The former Archbishop Valper Galilei displayed how far he diverged from humanity, how far he went to match the exorcist, how far he blasphemed the body God gave him. The claw of the blasphemous Archbishop was close to her body, no matter how much the struggled, she could not escape his grape. And she would be really upset if he came to wound her. The monster stopped to look at her without weakening his grip, and the cannon that killed the giant revealed itself again. He was about to kill her friend. He looked at them, the cannon was getting out of his body, and really to fire.

The shoot was done. At least, she had not to hear the dying scream of Irina. At least, she hoped that her death was painless has it was quiet.

The hand/paw/claw/thing of the heartless monster pressed her body against the floor. That was not the moment, but she would definitively be upset. This monster was about to destroy her body, even if she kept at strict diet. She would have preferred to be disfigured. After all, she heard about guys with a fetish for disfigured girls. She was not really upset in the past when she had to cut her hairs because of the same reason. But if this monster damaged her body above a few wounds (again peoples with fetish for scars exist), the figure she worked and exercised so much to meet the standard of attractiveness of this modern days would definitely be ruined. That will be difficult to find a suitable mate.

He said something. She was not interested enough to listen. He picked her with two fingers, the claws pressed against her neck He gave her again his satisfied smile. She digressed too much already, now the most important : because of this bastard, Irina had been killed.

"Where are they?"

He killed her. She was too busy to try to not cry, or giving him a heinous glare, so she didn't give him any answer. Wait a minute. "They"? She forgot about the kid.

"One of them have killed the giant that was supposed to guard you. Which one was she? Answer!"

She searched for Irina, how did she manage to escape? She had to find her. The sword? Irina was supposed to retrieve Excalibur Mimic. She was not there. Where was she?

The Chimera Archbishop pulled her higher, until she reached the ceiling. She looked back where were the sword. Two thing have disappeared : Excalibur Mimic and a large briefcase. She raised her hand to the fingers of the monster. She wanted to free herself, she wanted to breath. Her attempt was hopeless, the grip of the monster was too strong.

" Show yourself, trashes. Show yourself! unless you want to see how the wielder of Durandal will look like if she is flattened on the floor!"

Xenovia raised her eyes, and met two violet irises hidden between the metal beams, this was her. This was Irina. Her partner smiled at her, and make some swift movement with her finger. She was saying something.

"Prepare yourself for the fall.", something like that, or "try to not die". She was glad that she didn't scream something instead.

The protestant exorcist had Excalibur Mimic between her hand, her position was saying a lot : she was ready to jump and stab the arm. This would not be a small fall, a dozen meters bellow was waiting for her the floor.

At floor level, the small figure of Alexia Henderson walked out of the shadow of the night. She was bearing a large briefcase, a small pendant which the chains was rolled around the hand holding the briefcase.

"I want you to know something, Valper Galilei."

The man didn't look human anymore, his face was now full of teeth, while retaining for whatever reason an expression of satisfaction and rage. Four facts she wanted him to acknowledge before he can die.

"First, I'm not an exorcist."

She dropped the box. Then she saw Shidou Irina jumping from her position, yieling "I, Shidou Irina will not allow you to arm my friend anymore! And give you the punishment of God! Amen!" impaling the gigantic hand/paw/claw/thing with her sword. She wanted to give a one-liner before she would be able to execute him, but as always she didn't have the occasion to say it, instead that was someone else.

"OH! FUCK!", that was the less appropriate thing she thought about.

The blade pierced the wrist and erected from its other side, covered in blood. The sword did not stop here, and the blade extended until it dived deep into the concrete of the floor. From there, Irina commanded her sword to regain its original size, drawing the arm of Genocide Archbishop to the floor.

"Irina! You! IDIOT!"

With just a little error, Xenovia was not very well positioned and about to fall a well. The perfect occasion for Alexia to try to look a little heroic.

While Irina grabbed her friend hand and began to pull her arm. Valper screamed as his arm fell, the wrist being cut by the numerous tiny razor blade of the barbed sword.

Meanwhile, the agent of Heirs of Prometheus, with a wide movement of her hand, commanded her briefcase, now full of blade, to fly into Valper Galilei head sized mouth and snatched him of his head, ending the scream.

At the end, Irina was clinging to the handle of Excalibur Mimic while Xenovia was clinging to her waist. It did not take too long before the exorcists were standing again, in front of the gesticulating, minus the left arm, headless body of Valper Galilei. Xenovia was taking her breath. The brown-haired girl spilled out her disgust when she said : "He managed to stay alive even without his head ? Oh ! God, please forgive this sinner and...  
\- Irina.  
\- Yes?  
\- I think he is still alive. You don't need to pray for his salvation, and it is useless this man is beyond salvation."

Now, she performed a quick inspection of the sinner's body. What everyone would be able to see was the former Archbishop didn't have any backbone but still had a nervous system. The lack of torso hinted an absence of lugs and stomach. Then his head was just a mean to hear and see. That man was disgusting, she wanted to vomit. She stepped back and sat on the gigantic arm.

"Xenovia, did we already something like that? Hurting a human."

The Japanese exorcist sat at her turn.

"More than I can count."

She turned are head.

"You never realized ?"

Irina shook her head.

"We are used to hunting devils and fallen angels alike. There are peoples like Gremory-san and... Can we call your childhood friend a good person?  
\- I have to say that he was weird last time.  
\- Allow me to repeat... There peoples like Gremory-san and your childhood friend, because they are devils, they are enemies of the Churches. Look at theirs stray devils, who are dangerous to Humans. Sometime, I wonder if we kill people like them or stray. We have orders so I would have to do it anyway. The only way I have to rationalize it was saying that they were not human, like that monster."

She lowered her voice, trying to breath a little.

"Even if we had to kill people like them, I will because..."

She said that as she was ashamed.

"I will because it is the way I have learned. Obey the orders, kill my ennemies and protect what I'm believe in.  
\- Xenovia... I never think about this like that... If it was me, if I have ever thought like you, I would have asked for a compromise. Why don't you..."

Irina was interrupted by a noise, a "crack", the noise of bone being bend. This was Henderson striking the arm with her briefcase. The other arm transformed into a head and screamed, then the torso revealed the cannon again and fired, the laser made a hole in the wall. Xenovia summoned back Durandal and attacked the monster. Now he had to be dead, the robotic part of Valper Galilei was cut in two, and the organics parts were releasing their dying laugh. The catholic exorcist had enough of that, she was about to vomit and exhausted. If she wanted to leave this place she had to delve that place and find the remaining Excaliburs.

"You were fast again Henderson-san."

Irina spoke to a girl lying on the floor, she was sure that she was killed.

"How did you survive?"

The girl stand back, and remove the dust on her pajama.

"When you have to fight stray devils, monsters, idiot magicians or the Khaos Brigade is better to be able to dodge a bullet or at least see it when it's coming right to your head. Or when you regularly travel at supersonic speed."

Xenovia nodded at her thanking her for saving Irina earlier and gave her directive : they had to find if the remaining Excaliburs was here. Unfortunately, a simple look in the surrounding revealed that the sword could not be anywhere in this warehouse. She didn't think that if they managed to keep Valper Galilei alive he would have given any information about them.

Xenovia wondered and asked about one thing, what will they do with the corpse?

" I may I have a solution."

She looked at the agent of Heirs of Prometheus, curious.

"We can just throw him in the sea."

Irina agreed that was a simple solution, but also pointed that they needed to keep the secret of the supernatural. Alexia then proposed a simpler solution : incinerate the body. It did not leave any proof behind, maybe some ashes. The brown-haired girl added that they didn't have any lighter.

One of the advantages of working for a mercenaries' agency working with the supernatural side of the world is that they could have fancy toys, like a bunch of enchanted item. A flying briefcase is one, and if this briefcase is also an automatized spellbook it is for the greeter good. Or also, a pair of Seven Leagues Boots, or an armor with the same enchantement. So someone without any knowledge of magic could cast any spell recorded if such spellbook. So Alexia Henderson did not warn the exorcist when she said : " Assemble Archetype. Fireball spell, magnitude two." Paused, then continued "Bullet Unload."

And the briefcase fired its bullet, a fireball that will devour the whole dock if let free. But who care? The exorcists retrieved quickly as they could the Holy Swords and ran behind, the girl who started the fire. And they leaved the warehouse to their hotel slowly, as they needed to rest.


	6. Chapter 6

Three years before the current events, Grigori have built a researches center on an isolated island in Japan. The one who asked for this particular installation was Kokabiel. No one gave attention to this center before that day, when it became evident that this cadre of Grigori used this researches center to prepare an action somewhere. What also became evident, but would have to be ignored, was the reason behind the visit of one of the cadre of the Grigori Institute.

The one who was waiting in Kokabiel's office was a man in armor. Anyone could see that Kokabiel never intended to use this room for himself. But that was not what Armaros wanted to see. First, the manager was away for a long time, he was just supposed to bring him a coffee. Second, he had to discover if Kokabiel used this place to conduct experiments. He sighed, no one would bring him coffee, and this time he would be the one who will play the hero. He grabbed his ax lying on the dusty desk, and began to shout.

"Guahahaha! Show yourself evil doers! I, Armaros, will claim my coffee!"

Immediately, the manager opened quietly the door, and casually asked him if something was wrong. The only thing he though about was the promised coffee he did not get. Then the manager politely asked for apologies and went to fetch a coffee. Armaros, under the impression he forgot something, scratched his head and called the manager.

"Do you need something Lord Armaros?", asked the manager.

Armaros answered by asking why he took so long to fetch the coffee. The manager putted his finger on his forehead before answering : "We had trouble about one experiment."

That picked the interest of Armaros, he asked for detail, since that point the manager refused to answer no matter how much the cadre of Grigori insisted. That was the moment. Armaros sprouted his ten pair of black wings, blocking the corridor, and shouted.

"Guahahaha! You will answer, kid! I don't want to hurt one of my kin, but I will if I have to preserve our situation! Tell my what were you doing!"

He raised his menacing ax above his head, ready of kill. The manager let fall his polite demeanor and summoned a spear of light.

"Why do you siding with those coward of Azazel and Shamhazai, the war is the only mean to avenge or brothers and sisters."

Armaros did not respond. They would by wiped out if they had to enter another war. But he was not wrong.

"Order an evacuation of this place if you don't want to witness my wrath."

The manager did not hesitate, he took a remote and spoke in it.

"Here Hakim, we need to... Dispose of our guest, he..."

He was interrupted by an ax going straight toward his head, the manager evaded it in time but took a kick in his stomach. He was ready to embrace death. Armaros just knocked him.

"Kokabiel what have you done to these kids?"

Now that he did not have anyone left to be his guide, the researcher of anti-magic just wandered around, hoping to understand what they were doing here. Or find a coffee.

* * *

Time have passed, Akeno and Yuuto found Issei in a warehouse. He was sitting next to the corpse of a giant. They brought him to his house where Rias waited for them. He had a shower to wash off the blood, then he found Rias sitting on his bed.

"What have you done?  
\- Sorry, Buchou. I shouldn't have run.  
\- You shouldn't have indeed, but I understand your reaction. You worry a lot about that girl, Irina.  
\- Yes, this is the case.  
\- And you know why I am scolding you.  
\- Yes, Buchou."

He lowered his head. The reason why they have been put into team was because with this configuration, they could keep an eye on each others, even if they were stronger than a giant. Be going after the target alone, he endangered himself.

"Ise, you can rise you head. I am scolding you because I worried about you, in the same manner you worrying about Irina."

He raised his head and Rias put his head between her breast. He was just wearing a towel, his master hugged him and he had his head into her breast, hat brought him to a realization.

"Buchou, am I a pervert?  
\- Yes, you are. I was afraid that you forgot about that."

He was a pervert, yes. And as a pervert, he had several things to do before dying, the first of these was to proudly raise his head.

"Yes, this is it. I. AM. A PERVERT! I'm Hyoudou Issei, the Beast! So I can't die before having sucked your nipples! I can't die while I can fondle your breast! I can't be defeated because a friend is in danger!  
\- Ise-kun... Sure you are passionate about it and I am happy to see you behaving like this again. But you dropped your towel, unless you want to sleep now you have better to dress yourself."

He looked at the floor. His towel was there.

"Buchou... Can you wait for me outside?"

* * *

At night, when he was supposed to be asleep. Issei silently exited his home, and found Rias waiting for him at the door.

"I did not tell you what we have found yet.  
\- You're not doing to scold me again?  
\- Don't worry about that. I want to have a walk. Do you want to come with me?  
\- I think that I will need it too."

He quietly closed the door and rejoined Rias outside. They first walked without saying a word until they reached the park where he was killed by Raynare, and more importantly he met Rias and Asia.

"Buchou, why are we here?  
\- I don't know. You were the one who lead us here."

I was afraid that she would kill him, the mere thought of this made him shiver. Why would her to did?

She watched her sitting on the fountain and invited him to do the same.

"Yuuto-kun and Akeno told me about the giant. How do you feel about it?  
\- I'm fine. After all, we often do it when we have to fight stray. And with the Rating Game.  
\- Ise-kun, it is not the same. You never took a life by yourself before that."

He lowered his eye.

"Don't. You can say it if you are troubled about that.  
\- Can I say that was just easy? A Dragon Shoot and the giant was gone. It was like that I could kill almost anyone just like that. Now I fear that Kokabiel, the giants, or whoever is controlling them can do the same to Irina, Xenovia or Henderson. Worse, to anyone, I can't just imagine that someone can to this to my parents!"

Rias hugged him again and gently stroked his hair.

"Ise-kun?  
\- Yes Buchou?  
\- Right now, would you kill me?  
\- No! Never! Why would I do that!?  
\- See. You know how to use your power. You would not even harm a fly. But you are ready to jump to save anyone. Asia, Yuuto, your childhood friend Irina, myself. You will jump to save Koneko and Akeno. You will save everyone."

Now there a last thing she wanted to talk about : Valper Galilei. They did not found anything about him, a lot of data about him have been erased. Even when they delved deeper, the only redundant thing they could find was his unhealthy obsession about Excalibur, so nothing new.

"Buchou... I may have an idea. Excalibur have been fragmented into seven pieces. That if he wanted to reforge it.  
\- This is true, why haven't we thought about it earlier? There not a lot of things we can do with those. Starting a war or reforge Excalibur.  
\- Or start a war and use the reforged Excalibur against the others sides.  
\- Yes. Thanks you Ise-kun."

With that, Rias had an idea about her course of action for the following day. She would check how the Ley Lines were disposed inside Kuoh Town, the ritual that would allow reforging the holy sword would need a lot of energy. What she suspected and will come true was that in Kuoh Town, Kuoh Academy was the center of the Ley Line of Kuoh Town, and so the reason of why the school was the head quarter of the devils of the Grimory's and Sitri's peerages.

* * *

Elsewhere, the fallen angel Armaros found himself in the laboratory of the research center. The way he took to end here was full of wall and holes in walls and body lying against those wall, but the longs minute required to end here worth it. The walls of the room were covered of glass tank of various size. To make a great SciFi effect, each of the tank was glowing. The fallen angel walked trough the rank of tanks and found a great glowing pool at the end of the way. Their was a great serpent in the pool, a serpent bearing the name of Midgardstorm. Then he looked in the human sized tank covering the walls. That was obvious, Kokabiel intended to mass product fallen angels.

Armaros hided himself on one of the tank when several of Kokabiel's minions entered the laboratory.

"He must be here.  
\- Well, he can only be here. Armaros broke his way to this place, I didn't hear any other explosion and we don't anything that is worth his attention beside the laboratory."

The hidden fallen angel crawled on the tank to the tallest tanks minus the one where Midgardstorm was resting. He stood up where the Kokabiel's underlings where talking.

"Guhahahahah! So you have seen trough my plan! Yes! I came here to steal the Dragon King Midgardstorm and rob the biggest bank of the world!"

He was disappointed to learn that nobody was impressed by his speech, that was even labeled as nonsensical.

"So... Do you know that we will kill you?  
\- You can't."

Armaros laughted again, the two fallen angel fired their spear of light to him, without even scratching his armor.

"Guhahahaha! Even I have passed trough the iron ball, with this intense training no one can harm me! I'M INVINCIBLE!"  
Now that Armaros got unhinged, the shot several light spear that spread across the room destroying whatever it came into contact. If he continued like that he will completely destroy the area. For the fallen angels working in this research center the only thing they could do was releasing the Midgardstorms, not before having done a simple comment : "He loose it."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kuoh Town three girls walked near the park. Two of them were exorcist and they needed some explanation. Some explanation were simple, like the provenance of the files. That the agent of HoP hid in her braid. Another left Irina in admiration about her grandfather and his even more famous ancestor.

"Since when are you a soldier?" That a something that bugged Xenovia. "How old are you? Fourteen? Thirteen? This is not because you are a descendant of Saint George or the granddaughter of a famous exorcist that you have to be a soldier!"

For Alexia, that was true. "I don't want to be like grandpa. He told me a lot of things. It may be the same of you. It's different for me, I have seen too many deaths, I killed too many peoples, now I can't do anything else. And I have chosen to live like that. You and grandpa, you must have been recruited by the Churches because of your ability to wield holy swords. What did you loose because of that? Your parents? All your friend? Yourself?"

"You are wrong Henderson-san." Irina interrupted her, not that she had something else to say. "We don't become exorcist because we are forced to become one, we become exorcist because we believe in God and his teaching. We believe in God because we want to protect what we believe in.  
\- Well said Irina!"

Irina continued.

"And you why have you begin to kill? Why do you continue within that path?"

Alexia stopped to walk.

"Because I want to be a protector. Because I think that no one have to lose someone because of war. But killing is what I do the best, so I can't stop."

Xenovia looked into her eye.

"So you are like Irina and me. It is true that I can't leave just like this because I'm the wielder of Durandal. I'm proud to be an exorcist and a protector too."

They passed trough the park, a shortcut to go back to the hotel. There Irina noticed two persons leaving the park : Issei and Rias. She called their names, actually just Issei's name. He turned and noticed them. They did not need to search for them after all.

* * *

Back in the Sea of Japan, Armaros continued to throw his spears of light while the follower of Kokabiel hurried to the terminal. What he could have see once the glass of the tank were pierced was not just cloned fallen angels, but also angels, devils, humans, and giant. Actually he was busy, throwing his countless weapon was a fulltime job, so he did not see any of this and the manager of this place could be grateful that he did property damages without harming the personal.

Any witness of this scene will believe that the man standing at the second highest point of the room is an insane omnicidal villain, trying to destroy the world with his immense power. Now if they gave attention to the setting, they would see that the hero were trying hack his base and set it on auto-destruction while he is destroying himself his army of clones. That did not make any sense, what actually happened was that two enormous snakes were crawling toward him and one of them bit one of his right wings. The pain allowed Armaros to regain his mind noticing one Midgardstorm clinging to his wings, the fallen angel trying to escape the grip of the dragon gave a blow in its eye. Once free of the snake the fallen angel tried to fly away from the dragon, he did not make out, given his damaged wings and fell, becoming a fallen fallen angel. Then he picked up his ax and stood ready for the arrival of the snakes. It would be better if he used the teleportation device Shamhazai provided him, he would be able to escape immediately if he used it.

The two clones of the Dragon king began to crawl around for they prey, Armaros searched for an exit, a door or one of the hole he made. Or at least a hiding place, like one of the tanks. He freed one of them from the body occupying it, it was the perfect moment to notice that it was not a fallen angel but a plain angel. Finally, he had to stay here a little longer. Now that the place was free he entered inside the tank and searched who he could prey for a chance to escape this place alive. From his hiding place he listened of the whistle of the snakes... The snakes, aren't they using they tongue like a sonar or something? Crap, they knew where he was.

A serpent passed and stopped just in from of him, the mouth full of corpses of various humanoid of various species, including the two fallen angel from before. The reptile turned its head toward Armaros and whistled. That was the moment to flee, he fell his ax onto the tongue of the animal, then cut across the eyes of this Midgardstorm and finally smashed it skull with it. He ran away searching for a hole... It could be simpler it he ran across a wall and made a new one.

There was another clone next to him, and it chased him, that was the one whom he punched the eye. The dragon was about to breath its poison to him, to escape it he longed the alley, searching for a door, the nausea caught him, and he stopped to bring up his last meal : nothing, not even a single cup of coffee. The reptile was near to him, it even ignored the alley of tank and crawled directly toward the prey. Why did he not thought about it earlier. Like a cannonball he ran to the wall making a perfectly round hole, a masterpiece. From the noise, the dragon did the same and continued its pursuit. Armaros dialed the number of Azazel with his cellphone while he ran into the plain, now he was an easy prey.

"Yeah, Armaros? Why do you call me? I'm busy actually."

He called because he couldn't fly to come back to the nearest base of Grigori but hewould not have the occasion to say it. The Midgarstrom caught him, and swallowed him. He dropped the phone, and anyone near it would hear : "Armaros? Armaros!? ARMAROOOOOOS!"

Azazel dropped his game pad and pushed a button next to him. The instant after, Armaros was vomiting on the carpet of Azazel's hotel room.

"Armaros, you have better to clean this and have a good explanation."

* * *

The next morning, the group composed of Xenovia, Irina and Alexia met Rias in the Hyoudou's residence, more precisely in Issei's room. They were pressed by the agent of HoP to get some rest without telling what happened since they disappeared. Now that was the moment to explain everything, so they could not tell so much. Irina just tell what they knew, they went to sleep and when they woke up they were in a warehouse chained to a beam. They managed to freed themselves thanks to some files Alexia hid in her braid and even if they found that Valper Galilei was here, the exorcists did not find the Excaliburs they needed.

"Then you killed Valper Galilei? This is great. At least Yuuto-kun would not have to hunt him. I have to thanks you."

Xenovia, who was at the corner of the room, approached and pointed her finger at Excalibur Rapidly.

"Something is wrong." She get the attention of the audience. "Galilei is said to be obsessed with Excalibur. I can understand that he restrain himself to give all the sword to Sellzen at once. But why hadn't he kept all of them?"

Alexia agreed, that was not something she thought about earlier but that could have bugged her. And once again, Issei gave a decent explanation.

"Kokabiel could have kept them."

Rias starred at her pawn for a moment, blinked once or twice.

"Thanks you Ise-kun. But that would be problematic if we will have to fight one of the leader of Grigori. Then Shidou-san, Henderson-san, Xenovia-san if you will excuse me I have to prepare to school. Ise-kun, you too.  
\- Ah, sorry Buchou."

Now the trio had to find something to do, Xenovia pointed at the street and said : "Why not some giant hunting? It will secure the town."

Alexia, who had the habit of hunt them, responded that they did not need to kill so many of them.

"No, we don't need to hurry actually, these giant are weaker than usual, no more dangerous than a swordfish."

Xenovia raised an eyebrow.

"Swordfish?"

The agent of HoP started to walk, followed by the two exorcists.

"You don't need to go with me, I will tell to Matthew that I am safe."

The blue haired girl pointed at her screwed sense of priority.

"I was sleepy, okay ! You too!"

She ran into the street, waving her hand, leaving alone the two exorcists.

"I will see you this afternoon!"

Now alone with Xenovia, Irina thought about what they could do.

"I won't mind doing some shopping.  
\- Why not?"

Unknowingly to them, a man followed Xenovia since a while, not that he took an interest in her but he had orders : capture the wielder of Durandal. While he was reticent to obey a human, the project he explained to him worth his attention. He had to wonder why Kokabiel allow that man to be in charge while he was away.

When the two girls he followed moved he moved as well. They had to abide to some rules so they would not fight in plain sigh, instead once one of them had confirmed that they are followed they will draw him to a deserted alley. That is why he placed so many traps around. And they walked right into it.

His target was standing in from of him, removing slowly the shroud wrapping Excalibur Destruction.

"What do you want ?"

Question first? Then, don't unpack your sword.

Actually, that did not matter, what mattered was that he had to win some times before she would fall asleep. He looked around someone was missing.

"I will be the one who ask question young lady. Where is the other girl?"

Her sword was ready now, one hit from this and he would be done.

"You can figure it out yourself. What I want to know is why you are cooperating with the fallen angels. What are you trying to do? Ragnarok?"

Did she fight giant so ofter that she believed that he was one? He sprouted his wings.

"I fear that you misunderstood young lady. I am the one who ask questions. It will be unfortunate that your friend happed to hurt herself." He paused to throw a bolt, resulting to a scream for Irina. "Like this."

Before he could finish, Xenovia dashed toward him, he flew to evade her attack, before being blow away by the shock wave. She was too close, he launched several bolts to distance her from him. He landed several foot away and observed a pigtailed girl falling from the roof. Then the fallen angel was surprised to see that the target was not asleep yet.

"You are resilient young lady, I..."

He was stop mid-sentence for dodge several attacks, and fired some bolts to Xenovia's belly. He was definitely amazed by her endurance. No wonder that Valper Galilei wanted to use her as a replacement for their insane exorcist.

Xenovia began to flinch, the fallen angel began to blur. He was speaking.

"If you would allow me to continue. I have to praise you. We are within the influence of a device stimulating the human brain to induce slumber. I am impressed by your tenacity. Now you are ours."

Xenovia had her lid closed by a gentle gesture and completely fell asleep at this instant.

Now the fallen angel took the two exorcists under his arm and flew to the base.

* * *

Azazel had heard the whole report of Armaros and had put the piece together. First fact, Kokabiel was trying to reignite the Great War. To do so, he had stolen three of the Excaliburs. Second, he requested a lab for himself. He used this lab to mass produce clones of various mythological beings, most notably one of the Dragon King : Midgardstorm. What he could see was far worse than the Great War : a global conflict between all the mythological factions orchestrated by Kokabiel.

Since he had the report, he was watching the video of several bugs placed all around the First Heaven and the devil's side of the Underworld. That was just a question of time but that would came true soon, countless devils and fallen angels attacking the Heaven and countless angels and fallen angels attacking the Underworld. That was a hasty decision, he had asked an emergency meeting with the leaders of the other Biblical factions before he could afford to see the whole world burning.


End file.
